Life on Earth depends on light and heat from the Sun. But the Sun emits more than just light and heat. Tiny particles—mostly protons and electrons—stream away from the Sun in a "solar wind" that can reach speeds of more than a million kilometers an hour. See how scientists are modeling interactions between solar winds and Earth's magnetosphere, the magnetic shield generated by our planet's rotation and molten core, which protects us from the full impact of these supersonic particles.
The solar wind flows throughout the Solar System, except where planets or their magnetic fields get in the way. Not all planets act like big magnets, but Earth does, protecting us from the solar wind’s supersonic particles.
In this visualization, speeding particles appear as streaks heading away from the Sun. Between the Sun and Earth, a shallow bowl shape represents the “bow shock,” where the solar wind slows down. Around Earth, a billowing blue surface corresponds to the outermost reaches of the magnetosphere.
Scientists use computer models to simulate the behavior of Earth’s magnetic field interacting with the solar wind. In one such model, scientists studied the effects of a 2003 "solar storm" that caused radio blackouts and satellite malfunctions. During the storm, intense pressure from the solar wind pushed the bow shock and compressed Earth’s magnetic field. Computer models help predict when the solar wind might become troublesome, knocking out satellites or endangering astronauts.
This visualization highlights data from the Center for Integrated Space Weather Modeling, which is based at Boston University. Simulated auroras were created in conjunction with the University of Alaska Fairbanks, and photographer Bryan R. White provided real imagery of auroras. This visualization also uses data from the Digital Universe Project, a collaboration of NASA and the American Museum of Natural History, to create an accurate three-dimensional map of the visible Universe. The Digital Universe, which includes dozens of datasets that are constantly updated, is free to download.